Testing polarity

[larryshar]

Mike,

How can I test a lamp shell for polarity with a multitester. It is a hanging pot rack with built in lights and a real pain in the but to remove.

 

[ptonsparky]

Unscrew one of the lamps until you have access to the screw shell. Place one lead on screw shell and other on a grounded surface. 120V= reverse polarity. (With the fixture on) A non contact tester may work.

 

[LarryFine]

You can also use an extension cord plugged into a known-properly-wired receptacle. That gives you a hot, neutral, and ground reference to test against. I recommend using a solenoid-type tester instead of a voltmeter.

 

[480sparky]

Or, screw one of these in so you don't have to worry about shorting out the socket. Get one that's got the polarized receptacle so you know which one should be hot (connected to the center pin of the socket) and which is grounded (screw shell).

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Unscrew one of the lamps until you have access to the screw shell. Place one lead on screw shell and other on a grounded surface. 120V= reverse polarity. (With the fixture on) A non contact tester may work.

Yes, this is true if the rack is wired with the proper polarity.